Jamie Carragher compares Arsenal to Liverpool’s young team under Gerard Houllier… as he claims the Gunners are good enough to win cups and that he has never ‘been more wrong about a player’ than Aaron Ramsdale
- Jamie Carragher spoke to Ian Wright ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Arsenal
- The ex-Liverpool man is excited by Arsenal’s current young core of players
- He drew comparisons with Arsenal and Liverpool’s young team in the 2000s
- Carragher believes more is needed before they can challenge for the title
- He admitted that he was wrong over Aaron Ramsdale’s ability as a player
Jamie Carragher has compared the current Arsenal team to the Liverpool squad he played in during Gerard Houllier’s reign at the club.
Mikel Arteta’s side travel to Anfield on Saturday in good form having not lost in their last eight Premier League games.
Young players like Emile Smith Rowe, Bukayo Saka and Aaron Ramsdale have all impressed as the Gunners recovered from their woeful start in which they lost their opening three games.
Jamie Carragher said he is ‘excited’ by Arsenal’s young squad including Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe
Carragher drew comparisons between Arsenal’s team now and Liverpool’s squad under Gerard Houllier
Speaking on Wrighty’s House with Arsenal legend Ian Wright, Carragher said the current Arsenal team is capable of winning trophies.
He said: ‘It reminds me a little of us at Liverpool with Gerard Houlier where he got rid of (Paul) Incey, Phil Babb, (Jason) McAteer, Robbie Fowler – that sort of Roy Evans era.
‘Then it was like me, Danny (Murphy), Stevie Gerrard, Michael Owen, John Arne-Riise, a few foreign players, this young team coming together.
Carragher (right) was part of the Liverpool team which won three trophies in the 2000-01 season
‘We never won the league or the Champions League but we won a few trophies and that’s the team I’m most fond of when I look back at my career because there’s nothing better than playing with your mates.
‘I think these (Arsenal) lads over the next two or three years will need more to win the league or Champions League but could be winning a couple of FA Cups or Carabao Cups.’
Players like Carragher, Gerrard and Owen became staples of Houllier’s Liverpool team during the Frenchman’s tenure at the club between 1998 and 2004.
The highlight came in the 2000-2001 season, where Liverpool won a treble consisting of the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup.
Carragher is impressed with the current bunch of young Arsenal players including Emile Smith Rowe, Bukayo Saka and Aaron Ramsdale.
Speaking about the goalkeeper, he said that he has ‘never got it more wrong’ about a player’s ability than the £30m summer signing from Sheffield United.
Carragher has admitted he got it wrong about Aaron Ramsdale’s ability as a goalkeeper
Carragher said: ‘Since I’ve come into punditry I’ve probably not been the most popular person with Arsenal supporters as they’ve always been really poor.
‘This is the first time I feel almost excited by it because while I don’t think Arsenal can compete with the top teams but when you’ve got young players in you feel like you can get behind it and almost accept performances and results at certain times because of the age of the players.
‘That will go eventually as they get older but I love Saka, Smith Rowe and when you like someone or team and you do the job I do. When you go to a game you think “I hope you do well, I hope you win tonight”.
‘I had that feeling when you played Aston Villa, not because I don’t want Villa to win but when you go to games where you like a certain team more than another or certain individuals that’s only human and you can’t help but think ‘I would like to see him do well’.
‘I was delighted Smith Rowe got on the scoresheet against San Marino. I really like watching him play. When I watch him play I hope he scores.
‘It feels like there’s something about Arsenal right now it feels like there’s a coming together. The keeper, I mean, if I’ve ever been wrong more about a player than Aaron Ramsdale then I don’t know which one it is yet.’
Carragher still feels Liverpool will have the edge over Arsenal when they face on Saturday
Arsenal enter the match in good form having not lost in their last eight Premier League games
Despite being complimentary of the current crop of Gunners stars, he believes Liverpool will have the edge when the sides meet on Saturday.
Jurgen Klopp’s side arrive into the game having picked up just one point from their last two matches since their 5-0 victory over Manchester United.
He said: ‘They (Arsenal) have to go for them as Liverpool’s big problem this season is conceding goals. How many goals they’ve conceded is unbelievable. The amount of goals they scored though is off the scale so we could have a great game.
‘I’m really looking forward to it but it’s just knowing (Jurgen) Klopp and these players, they’ve got an amazing mentality and I think they will be prepared knowing what’s happened these last few games.
‘I’ll be very surprised if Liverpool don’t win that game, nothing to do with Arsenal.’
